Bethel Welcomes New Chief Fiscal Officer

Clair Knapp will join Bethel College’s staff as chief fiscal officer. Knapp will replace current CFO, John Myers, who is retiring after 18 years of service to the school.

Knapp, who graduated from the University of St. Francis (Fort Wayne, Ind.) with a B.S. in Accounting, has more than 18 years of experience providing financial and accounting services: concentrating in audits of employee benefit plans; manufacturing and distribution; and colleges and universities. He also has performed numerous due diligence engagements for merger and target acquisitions.

Knapp has worked with Alfe Corporate Group and BKD, LLP in Ft. Wayne. In addition, he has served as the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation board treasurer since 2005 and was a recipient of the Fort Wayne Future 40 award in 2006.

“We at Bethel are extremely grateful for John Myer’s leadership as the college has grown over the last 18 years, and it was very important to us that we find the right person to succeed Mr. Myers. After a 15-month search, we believe we’ve found the candidate who is a good fit for Bethel and has the needed skill set to assist in helping us continue to move the college forward. We are excited to welcome Clair Knapp to the Bethel family,” says President Steve Cramer, Ph.D. (’75).

Knapp will start his duties on October 28, with help from Myers before he fully retires.

Bethel College is an accredited Christian college offering associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in more than 70 areas of study. The current enrollment of more than 2,100 includes students from 34 states and Puerto Rico, 19 countries, more than 25 denominations and 16 percent from culturally diverse backgrounds. Scholarships are available based upon a variety of factors including academic achievement, talent in the arts or athletics, ethnicity and church affiliation. In addition to its beautifully wooded 75-acre main campus in Mishawaka, Ind., Bethel also offers specific academic programs at sites in Elkhart, Ind., Fort Wayne, Ind., Dowagiac, Mich., and St. Joseph, Mich. Nursing programs are also offered in cooperation with Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind.